Little Miracles
by Judge Kat
Summary: Phoenix Wright is the best attorney in the state. His sudden rise in budget leads him to throwing Christmas vacation for his friends, old and new. Multiple pairings, including Phoen/Maya, Edge/Franz, Klav/Ema, Apollo/Pearl, and more.
1. Introduction: The First Invitation

**Okay taking a break from "Seagulls Over the Pacific" (incase you few fans haven't noticed yet :P) I really should get back to it, though. SarangKohane is beginning to make me feel jealous. AAAAANYWAY..... I don't own nuddin'. Well, okay, I do. But not Phoenix Wright. **

**Okay, In-depth description: Christmas vacation in Germany and the Bahamas for the whole gang (And the obligatory OC). NO YAOI. EVER. I'm sorry, I'm not particularly a fan of that. Just taste. But I digress (As usual...). Couples featured: Pheonix X Maya, Miles X Franziska, Apollo X Pearl (YESSSS!!!!!), Klavier X Ema :3, Trucy X OC (I need help with the OC!!!!!!), Larry X ???, Dick X Maggey, and possibly Lana X Jake Marshall**

**CHAPTERS WILL BE MUCH LONGER. This is just the Intro. Like a long summery. I need you to review for ideas & inspiration!!! Like the OC. What should his name be? His identity? I COULD make it the british secretary. Idk. Or, if you have ideas for existing characters.... If his character and age is good with Trucy.**

**I'm also gonna have a collection of pictures for this story on Deviant Art. Not AMAZING ones, just to show how that person looks in that dress, etc. I'll post the link to my page and inform you of the photos later on. Yep, this story is going to be pretty important to me (kudos to xStormyx for the inspiration for this story). **

**Once again, I need your ideas. German landmarks, character and chapter ideas, etc. Review or PM me. I WILL give you credit, don't worry.**

**WOW this is a long author's note. But I have one more thing to say on the topic of reviews: Flames are accepted. Flames and advice make my story better, so I appreciate it.**

**Okay. That's it. I promise a long chappie next time, I jsut wanted to use this chapter to get th idea of the story across and all that. THANK YOU FOR READING MY RAMBLING!!!!!**

**Oh, yeah, almost forgot: **

**Published: 02/02/10**

**Rating: T for heavy language, drinking, and suggestive themes (but nothing graphic). Might change to M later on. Let me know if I start pushing the limit on the rating with any of my story's content.**

***************

Apollo Justice leaned back in his theme-red office chair, staring at the blue-and-gold slip of paper. Its respective envelope lay on the dangerously high stack of paperwork that Wright had left him to deal with. That being said, paperwork was the last thing on his mind that day.

Apollo shook his head angrily. How dare he? How dare he assume that Apollo would accept such pampering from _him_??? He steadied himself, and regained composture, looking over the invitation for the _n_th time that day.

***

_"Apollo,_

_ "As you know, the Christmas season is approaching, fast. Hence another year gone by. Even with my_

_ upheld status and career returned, I still miss those with whom I shared my young life before that_

_case."_

***

Apollo paused and snickered again at the man's unnecessarily fancy wording.

***

_"So, I was hoping to throw a little party. Considering many of the attendees are German, I figured a_

_ quaint little German Christmas would be rather nice. And of course, a New Years in the bahamas..._

_ "Details will be provided when I.... Get around to it._

_ "Please RSVP to the handsome man in the room next door (you'll recognize him by his rather fine_

_ taste in blue clothing)._

_ "Your boss,_

_ Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney (better than you anyway)."_

***

Apollo sighed.

_The fuck with it._

He opened his door, exasperated, and walked over to room 01. He knocked and tapped his foot impatiently as he heard his boss' secretary walk over to answer. Upon opening the door, Apollo Justice shoved past the british secretary asking what his business was at the moment, and walked straight up to the legend's desk, slamming his fists down on it, earning an annoyed but not surprised smirk from the man.

After a few moments of intense, penetrating silence and deadly glares from both sides, Apollo finally whispered, only loud enough for Wright to hear.

"You'd better believe I'm fucking going," he said with a smile he just couldn't keep back.

Phoenix Wright stood up grinning and extended a hand to the man.

"Pleasure doing business with you, sir."


	2. Before the Champagne

_**Hello, children. Story-telling time.**_

_**I'm sorry I've been a bad girl. Procrastination is an evil element. And what with work and Olympics and all that jazz.... still, I have no excuse. I am evil. I'm sorry :(**_

_**This is eight times as long as my last chapter. Hope that helps. Or seven times. Something like that.**_

_**So, SierraSilver had the ingenious idea (or maybe I was just stupid) to have Mr. Hackins instead of an OC. Well, with a huge personality alteration, here he is. This chapter is basically a prologue of a bunch of POVs before the trip.**_

_**This does not necessarily mean that these will be the only characters there. If you have a certain character's presence that you wish to request, please feel free to review with an idea (on second thought, review anyways! X3**_

_**Anyways, enjoy.**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Phoenix Wright or any of these characters (pout), Capcom does. Well, apart from the story, Cathrine, and Cody Hackins' background story & parents. (See? The OCs happen anyways.**_

_**Updated 15/2/10.**_

_*******_

Trucy Wright stared at the invitation with shock.

_Wow, daddy can't even personally invite his own daughter on a vacation. I have to _RSVP_ for god's sake!!!!_

She laughed. Daddy, he never did change. Not when he was an attorney, not when he was a hopeless and homeless gambler, and not when he regained his fame again. She wondered who else would be there. Her brother, Apollo, no doubt. Ema Skye, Daddy's metaphorical second daughter, as well. Perhaps his secretary, too. And some old collegues. She secretly hoped Klavier Gavin would be invited; even after all these years (despite the breaking-up of his band), she still had a fangirl crush on him. Honestly, he was one of the main reasons Trucy actually went to court with Apollo. That being said, she knew nothing would ever happen between them. No way. But it was still nice to imagine... She was a teenager. She couldn't really help herself.

Now that she thought about it, her ideal man would be more down-to-earth. He would funny, sweet, intelligent....

She drifted off in fantasies of the man she knew she would never meet, the neglected envelope still hanging in her hand.

***

"Pearly! PEARLY!!!!!" Maya Fey yelled at the top of her voice.

The said teenager could be heard bolting down the hallway to the Master's call, her small feet making such a thunderous amount of noise.

She skidded to stop right in front of Maya.

"Yes, Mystic Maya?" Pearly responded, her eyes full of respect and adoration.

"Look," Maya commanded, gesturing with the fancy blue envelope in her hand, her voice tense with excitement.

"Congratulations, Mystic Maya! You got an envelope!!!!... Umm... That's all I got."

Maya Fey facepalmed herself.

"Okay, Pearly. Read the name of the sender."

Pearly squinted at the messy writing.

"P- Pnohit Wnit. Who or what the hell is Pnohit Wnit???"

Maya wanted to facepalm again, but honestly couldn't blame her cousin for _that_.

"Yes, well, after working as his assistant for two years," she shuddered visibly. "I've somehow learned to decode the hieroglyphs."

Pearly continued to give her a blank stare. Maya sighed, exasperated.

"Two years, Pearl. Who's assistant was I for two years?"

More blank stare.

"Okay here's another clue. Spiky hair. _**Really spiky hair**_."

"Umm... Mister Eh-ji-worth?

"_NO!!!_"

Facepalm. Of course.

"PHOENIX WRIGHT!!! NICK! NIIIIICK!!!"

"Mm, I bet he'd love to hear you scream his name like that..."

"PEARLY!!!!!"

"Sorry, sorry. But what you did for Mister Nick didn't really count as working... More like you followed him around, got free hamburgers, and probably saw him in the shower a few times," Maya punched her seventeen-year-old cousin, but she continued. "Basically, he got nothing out of it. Well apart from being around _you~_...."

Maya was now fuming, as her cheeks puffed out indignantly. She took a deep breath and counted to one hundred and seventy-three (just to irritate Pearly, of course), and met her cousin's teasing smirk with a beyond deadly glare.

"He invited us on a Christmas vacation with his friends." she said icily just wanting to hurry up and finish the conversation.

"Where to?" the medium-in-training questioned.

"Christmas in Germany..." Maya responded looking over the letter again.

Pearly yawned.

"Well that's boring, we might as well-"

"...and then New Years in the Bahamas."

"-we might as well go!" Pearl Fey finished, elated from the new information.

Maya Fey held her tongue. Her cousin used to be _SO_ fascinated by Europe... Maya knew that all women _loved_ the south, especially at this time of year, but Pearly was different. She was actually quite accustomed to the cold, and New Year's was a more of a spiritual event for the Feys. So why was she so-

"If you're wondering why I'm so enthusiastic about going to the bahamas," Pearly, said, having read the expression on Maya's face. "Its because its an excuse to go shopping for bathing suits, which is an excuse to go to town, which is just freakin' awsome. Plus, you get to see Nicky~..... And more importantly, he sees you in a bikini. I bet he has a nice chest...."

"_**PEARLY**_!"

***

Dick Gumshoe bent over to plant a blissful kiss on his wife's forehead. She looked up into his eyes lovingly.

"Don't forget your lunch, Richard."

"Hand-made by my one-and-only wife? I don't think I could forget it if I tried!" he laughed loudly.

"Umm..." she scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "That's debatable...."

"Oh..." he looked down sadly. He loved Maggey, but she could be about as much of a put-down as Wright had once been. An awkward silence settled between them, neither of them knowing who should speak next. This wasn't unusual in their home, really, awkward moments. The two were such opposites.... But the fact that he should be out of the home by now rang through his mind. Just as he planted a last kiss on her head and stepped outside, a small voice rang out.

"Don't forget me, Papa!"

He turned back again. His daughter ran up and hugged his legs, looking at him pleadingly.

"Oh alright- Hey, wait!" he shouted as she ran towards his rickety car. "Don't you have school today???"

She paused, turned and cocked her head at him.

"Aww papa, _please_? I _love_ seeing you work. You're such an amazing detective... I wanna be just like you one day!" she begged, her eyes filled with innocence.

Somewhere deep inside, Dick knew that she was only buttering him up. He had a strange feeling he was going to regret this decision, but....

"Okay, okay. But you have to promise to behave yourself at the precinct. And, uhh..." he paused, lowering his voice to a whisper. "No telling mommy, 'kay? This stays between you and me, pal. Top secret?"

"Top secret!" she yelled, enthusiastically saluting her father. She reminded him of Maggey so much sometimes...

***

Inside the house, unbeknownst to her family, Maggey shook her head in exasperation, sending one last amused glance at the dark green car. Poor idiot had thought he could actually get away with this. She knew she couldn't really blame him, of course. Cathrine was totally irresistible. It warmed her heart to know that the reason she had _that_ big of an impact on him was that she reminded him of Maggey herself. Oh yes, he was an idiot. And she loved him for it.

But she wouldn't let him get away _that_ easy.... He would have to make up for it when he got home.... She grinned mischievously. That Christmas trip Phoenix Wright had planned... Yes, perfect opportunity....

***

Ema Skye leaned back in her office chair, picking up a bag of her favourite snack, munching in an attempt to drone out her glimmerous boss' flirting. But not even Snackoos could stand a chance against the fop. Ema herself could only stand this much.

"Get out, Gavin. I get it. Paperwork. How my "beautiful milky skin" ties into this...."

"Ahh, _fraulien_. Your beauty is the key to everything, ja?" he winked, leaning over her desk, straight into her face.

She however, remained unfased.

"Out, Gavin. Now."

"Out with the formalities, _mein leibing_. You can call me Klavier. Or baby. Or darling. Or-"

_**Kabonk.**_

Yep, she had just Snackood her boss. He scowled at her, insulted at her repetitive rejection.

"Ema," he began, again. "We really must talk about this.... assaulting. If I was anyone else, I'd have you fired for such abuse, but-"

"If you were anyone else, there wouldn't _be_ any abuse, _**baby**_."

Klavier frowned again and left the room, unable to take any more humiliation.

Ema leant back again, finally able to relax. _Pleasant_ exchanges with her boss always left her quite fumed. It was then that she noticed the little envelope on her desk.

***

Klavier exited the room, grinning to himself. Ema's comebacks had put him off, until he saw that envelope. The rock-god knew he shouldn't really be surprised; Ema was like Wright's second daughter, but it lightened him up anyways. Knowing that he was going to be spending the holidays with Detective Skye made him feel _unusually_ happy inside. A little mistletoe... his mind wandered off in fantasies of Ema.

Once he came back down to earth, he wondered who else Wright had invited. Trucy, Apollo, Detective Gumshoe and his wife, Maggey, Miles Edgewoth... Klavier couldn't think of anyone else off the top of his head. He wondered why he had never done something like this. It wasn't as if he could never afford it, he just didn't have the time.

_Then why do you have the time to go now?_, he asked himself.

He honestly didn't know. Perhaps because he would be spending Christmas in Germany again for the first time in years. Perhaps because he knew his mind really needed a break.

_That's not it._, his mind told him, annoyed.

"Then what is???" he hissed, realizing too late that he had spoken aloud, and caught a weird look from the little girl that had happened to be passing him.

_Figure it out._, his conscious simply stated.

"_Go to hell,_" he muttered to himself.

The little girl gave him one last confused glare, before turning around and departing again for wherever she had to go. He waved at her retreating form, thinking about how it would be like to have such a cute little girl of his own. Somehow, she seemed familiar...

_Wait, isn't that Herr Gumshoe's daughter?_, he suddenly realized with a concerned frown. _Why isn't she at school? That man is going to have a _lot_ of explaining to do...._

***

Miles Edgeworth grinned evilly.

"So, you can't reach your whip?" he humoured her. "And you need ' Little Miles' to help? Is that so?"

"Shut. Up." she growled.

"Ooh, we can't have that, can we? A little respect goes a _long_ way. I _am_ your elder after all, even if you beg to differ," he said cooly.

She was fuming, steam pouring out of ears.

"_Foolish fool who is foolish enough to foolishly assume that he can foolishly fool me into being foolish enough to foolishly lose control in the foolish office in front of so many foolishly foolish fools like a complete and utter FOOL!_" she muttered under her breath, in an attempt to calm herself down.

To her surprise, she actually succeeded in doing so.

She stared up at him calmly. His arms were folded across his chest, neatly, just like everything else about him. Even the smirk playing on the corners of his lips was ideally placed. She could never understand how her fool of a little brother managed to have so many faults, and yet seem so perfect. He fascinated her deeply, and, she wasn't sure why, but she was quite content to simply observe him going about his life. He was like a huge soap opera crammed together in one live person. She would never admit it, but she actually truly enjoyed having him around. That is, when he wasn't being such a foolish idiot.

"Yes, Miles Edgeworth. I would like some aid with my clearly futile attempts to retrieve my whip which has rather unfortunately gotten jammed in the AC," she stated calmly.

"Why should I?"

He had really lost it now.

"Excuse me?" she blinked, caught off guard by his resistance.

"Why should I help you, Franziska? What's in it for me? Continued whipping? I noticed you haven't whipped me yet, and, to be quite frank, I am rather appreciating the fact."

"Miles Edgeworth! I am asking you of a simple request! Will you help me, or no?"

"Franziska von Karma! I am asking you a simple question! How can I benefit?" he replied, mimicking her angry glares.

She sighed, knowing, from past experience, that this was going to get just about..... nowhere.

"Anything, little brother. Just get me my whip!"

"Tisk, tisk. I see that even _I_ have failed to teach you common manners," he shook a finger at her, smirking more then ever. "How about a _pwease_, hmm, Franzy dear?"

Franziska bit her lip, conflicted. To give in to her brother's demands was simply shameful, but.... She looked up pitifully at the tangled wad of leather string so high above her, and her gaze instantly softened. The whip had been her saviour, her guardian, her shield so many times before.... She owed it that much. Apart from her little brother, Detective Ema Skye, and the pitiful Wright, it was the closest thing she had to a friend. She knew she had given in.

"_Please_," she hoped her voice had come across as pleading as she heard it in her head.

Edgeworth was visibly taken aback by her complying. She had to admit, she was rather amazed herself. She had actually managed to _apologize_. She had honestly expected the word to get lost somewhere on the way out of her mouth. His gaze softened, and he moved the chair underneath the dangling serpent. He tentatively climbed on top, and Franziska found herself actually worried about the possibility of him falling.

Despite her concerns, however, he managed to reach the whip and gently pull it free of the narrow slits in the AC. He jumped off, and got down on one knee, presenting the item to her as if it was some sort of holy relic.

_Which_, thought Franziska. _It totally is_.

Franziska merely lifted an eyebrow in response, snatching her beloved weapon from his undeserving hands. She had begun to walk away when Miles spoke.

"About the promise?"

She paused, narrowing her eyes.

"What promise?"

"Oh _surely_ you haven't forgotten!" the smirk was back; he was clearly satisfied with her negative reaction to just about everything he said. "_'Anything, little brother. Just get me my whip!'_" he mimicked.

"Ahh...." she cursed herself.

She did not even want to _think _about what implications her clever little brother could cause. Then again, she realized that trying to resist him would be fruitless, so she might as well heed him here and now.

"Okay, okay. What is it you want from me?"

In response to her question, Miles reached into his front suit pocket and took out a little envelope.

"Do it," he said. "Wright requested this of me.... To make you go, that is. I suppose you've no choice now, yes?"

She studied the envelope suspiciously. Anything to do with that man Wright was almost always no good. And yet... Franziska sound herself happy in his company all the same. Suffice to say, he might actually be a..._ friend._ She would look at the invitation, only to humour her poor little brother, of course.

She snatched the envelope out of his hand, muttering a string of fool-related curses under her breath.

"....Fine." she finished.

Miles smiled genuinely.

"Thank you, sister." he said, turning to leave.

"....Family matters." she replied, too quiet for him to hear.

***

To be honest, Miles had been quite surprised when she had accepted. Well, it wasn't as if he minded. When he had visited Wright that morning, his friend had given him four invitations.

_"One for you, one for Gumshoe, since he's probably already lost the one I mailed, and one for Franziska. Make her accept, or don't bother coming back."_, he had simply stated.

Edgeworth knew Wright well enough to tell that he was joking about the "don't-bother-coming" part. All the same, he wanted Franziska to get away from the office for more than a day, at least once in ten-and-some years. Luck had actually been on his side for a change.

_One down, two more to go._

He walked up to Ema Skye's door, just in time to hear her yell.

"What now, Gavin?!!"

Miles Edgeworth didn't bother knocking, knowing that when she was preoccupied with her boss, multi-tasking was a simple impossibility. The pair was quite famous at the precinct; a valuable source of entertainment. He opened the door and walked right in. The two didn't even twitch in his direction to acknowledge his presence. Either they were deep in their fight to bother with him (as opposed to Ema's past obsession with Miles), or actually hadn't noticed him yet. He set the envelope down on the dangerously teetering mountain of paperwork (which he assumed was the base of the current argument), turned abruptly, and left. He knew Ema would accept either way; who in their right minds wouldn't? She also had a special friendship with Wright; he was like the father she never had. He spoiled her in chemicals with such long names that Miles didn't even bother attempting to remember, and could actually recognize her favourites. Ema wouldn't miss that trip, he knew for sure.

Next up was Gumshoe's.

Miles Edgeworth slammed the door behind him, frustrated. He had discovered that detective Gumshoe had taken his daughter out of school _again_ just to let her watch him work. How could he be so careless about her education??? Miles had been about to inflict yet another salary cut on the man, when prosecutor Klavier Gavin walked in, yelling at Gumshoe for the exact same thing, while poor little Cathrine cowered behind her father's legs. Miles explained that he had the situation (and, consequently, the salary) under control, when Gavin spoke up.

_"Salary cut? Another, Herr Chief? Perhaps this man deserves it, ja, but it's his family we're scolding him about in the first place. Their financials are quite unstable as it is, nein?"_, he had questioned, bending straight into his superior's face. Miles had tried to deny his piteous claim just for the sake of being right, but soon realized, he was completely correct. So he stormed out, frustrated that he had been given a pep talk to by his _subordinate_. So it hadn't helped much at all when upon him storming out, the ex-rock-god had yelled "_**You forgot to give him the invitation!**_"

Miles had no clue as to how Klavier had known about the party, let lone that Miles was the part-time messenger. Sure, he was still holding the note, but unless he was coming on the trip himself; the party was very private...

_Oh, shit...._, Miles suddenly realized. _Why, Wright??? Am I honestly the only person who has a fierce distaste for that man?.... Well, apart from Miss Skye...._

He shuddered again. He didn't quite know why; Miles was usually a rather agreeable man, so it took a lot to make him enemies. If you add the fact that he hardly ever had _any_ communication with that Gavin... Miles shrugged. Perhaps it was simply his "foolish male pride".

He bent down, now calmed, and slipped the small envelope under the door. Coming back up, he turned heel and walked away, back to his own office. To be the boss he was payed to be.

***

"Yes, I'd love to. Yes! Mmhm. Oh, thank you! Yes. I'll bring one. For Ema too. And and an extra just in case. Got it. Okay. Goodbye, I'll see you then. Thanks again, I'm sure this vacation is just what everyone needs... Okay! Goodbye, Phoenix Wright!" Lana hung up the phone, squealing.

"Mm?" Jake mumbled, wrapping his tan arms around her tiny, shivering waist.

She curled herself into her fiancee's arms. She wondered again why they weren't married yet. They'd been engaged for... eight years. Her logic was that she would love him equally, married or not. She knew he was pretty deep in love with her to; she'd managed to convert him into a _civilized human_. He still had that habitually southern way of speaking, but at least he dressed like a detective, not a wannabe cowboy. She was still working on teaching him how to _shave_ in this day and age. It was getting quite irritating, finding beard stubble on her pocket knife. Well, at least he left the kitchen knives alone. Now _that_ had been a problem when he first started staying over. Let's just say that Nutella-and-beard sandwiches weren't the greatest lunches she'd ever made... She shuddered at the memory.

Apparently, Jake noticed, because he looked down at her, concerned.

"Somethin' gone wrong, bambina?"

She smiled up at him, locking eyes with that idiot.

"No, honey, it's nothing."

"If ya say so, babe," he shrugged, resting his chin on her head again.

"Mmm...." she breathed in his musky cologne as he pulled her farther into his big arms. "Guess where we're going for Christmas?"

"Back to home, where them buffalo once roamed?" he said, playing on her evident distaste to his 'wannabe cowboy moments'.

"Germany, you numskull."

"Meh, close enough," he mumbled drowsily, drifting off to sleep again.

***

Larry Butz looked at the envelope.

"_Phoenix Wright_

_Wright & Co. Law Offices..."_

He tore open the seal, extracting the note with the dexterity of a dying pellican.

"_Dear Larry,_

_You have been invited to-"_

Larry picked up the phone.

"_**YO, NICK! IMMA GOING!!!!!**_ " he screamed into the receiver.

He waited for a reply from his old friend, but instead got an automated female voice.

"Please dial the number...."

***

Godot sipped his #6 blend. One of the originals... He hadn't had it for quite a while. Five whole days, in fact. Suddenly, he realized his mistake in doing so. His senses were immediately numbed by the over-powering, burning taste. His eyes fogged up, and he nearly dropped the mug. Even a connoisseur like him could be over-whelmed by the mix. Only blend #6 could do this to him....

If it wasn't often taken, one's senses lost their immunity to the intense liquid. Five days was too long for a blend like this....

He remembered when he had first made it. He had been in the mood for something uniquely bitter, with a soft, deceiving fragrance. Something that would be simple, yet beautifully alluring to the human passions, and then strike as soon as one made the mistake of taking but the smallest sip...

Nutmeg was the key, as well as only the darkest, purest coffee... A hint of vanilla extract and ground lavender made for an undeniable aroma, arousing the senses in preparation for the strike.

He had, in fact, been drinking that very coffee in his kitten's first trial... He had crushed that cup when he saw what Dahlia had done, realizing how alike the two were. Deceiving predators, beautiful, elegant, until you have a taste of their true nature. He had shunned that blend since then, and it had now become a frequent punishment to himself....

Today, it was for being a coward. Trite had invited him on a trip, but he did not have the guts... He scorned himself.

The coffee had been ground, the water poured, now all that was left was for him to drink. That mug had been sitting there for almost ten years, never staling. And yet... Godot could not do it. He could not muster up the courage to apologize. That mug was too inviting to be true. He could not tell what was inside. Another #6?

He could make friends with the enemy, but would he fail them too? Could he chance it? Phoenix Wright had forgiven him. He had even been the reason Godot avoided jail. He had fought for him after the Fey trial, saying that the prosecutor's actions had been to defend an innocent victim, who happened to also be the next Master, a highly important character. Trite had made everyone believe the man's actions were noble.

He had forgiven the man they called Diego Armando, yes. But had he forgiven Godot?

He sighed. The time for running was over. Running from reality.... He could no longer shame Mia. If nothing else, he would do it for her. He would look after her younger brother. No matter the cost. Even if the cost was his dignity.

For how much of it did he have left?

***

Cody Hackins rubbed his eyes, exhausted. The screen glared back at him, continuously flashing those fateful words.

_Error_.

He couldn't take it any longer. When he had signed up to be Phoenix Wright's tech support, he hadn't anticipated _this_. He now had to manage his bosses clientele orders, besides all the other crap that came with _filming_ cases. Not a big deal, right? Just check the email every week, see if their are any new orders.

_Yeah_, he thought. _Not a big deal, unless that inbox is full enough to cause _**crashes!**

Emails to defend, emails to judge, emails for _acting jobs_! Fanmail, too. Tons of fanmail. He should have predicted that _Cody_ would be getting the brunt of his boss' filmed cases.

He was tired. Leisure no longer seemed like a possible reality. He couldn't remember having a real day off for the past.... six months. His friends were non-existent; the outings they planned could not ever be attended by him, so he was slowly forgotten.

He couldn't take this much longer. He ran a hand through his ruffled black hair, and adjusted his glasses. Those glasses.... he hated them. Thank god he didn't need them anywhere but in the office. It wasn't that he looked bad in them, no, he was actually quite a handsome man. It was just that... these glasses were highly expensive. He could only afford them because of his job. It just went to prove how useful his career was. And he hated that.

It was undeniable; Cody was a genius. A prodigy. At nineteen years of age, he was one of the most renown technology experts. Everyone wanted him to work for them. He got stuck working for Wright & Co. because of what he felt he owed to the man. He never really liked him, even back _then_. However, it was undeniable that his boss was a great man, and a kind one at that. He just had too much going on, and he couldn't please everyone.

That was why that fateful little envelope meant so much to him. His boss actually realized that Cody existed. He actually _appreciated_ him. This vacation... it was everything Cody needed right now. To relax. Sit back in the warmth of the fireplace, or the sun itself. Watch some _television_ for the first time in months. Meet new people, even if it was only for a few weeks.

_Socialize._

That meant a lot to him. Everybody saw him as a very guarded, frustrated, unhappy, and mysterious person. He seemed locked within his own shell, but could anyone really blame him? His only friend was that screen, and now, as it continued to flash _Error_, he realized that perhaps, it was turning on him too. He knew he had to get away, but he couldn't bring himself to quit the job. Something kept him there.... He assumed it was the pay, but he deep inside, he felt it was because this cramped, machine-ridden, air-less little office was home.

As a child, he had always been obsessed with virtual reality, as it seemed to be the only pleasant reality out there. Television was his home, and actors were his friends. He had always grasped at straws to find something to love. His family was rich, his home abundant. His parents let him have anything he wanted. Anything but themselves. His father was always on the road, a successful business man, researching, investing, winning, and losing stocks. His mother... She was a believer. She was throughly dedicated to the Lord, and was too busy carrying out his divine will to pay a grain of attention to her "accidental" son. He had been living in a material world, lacking of emotion, of love.

In the end, even that material had been taken away. The stock market crash-and-burned, and, at the age of fifteen, he had been abandoned completely. His father suffered of a heart attack brought on by anxiety, and his mother, believing that it was the Lord answering to her sins, left to fully become a nun. Cody had the money left by his father, just enough to get him into a cheap college. He had skipped multiple grades, so he was supposed to have graduated hat year, and he did. With honours plenty, but money wasn't quite so generous. He completed that cheap college, but it was clearly not enough. His professor recommended his talent to a full scholarship to MIT, and he got in. And now here was, only four years since that fateful stock crash. Reaping in money, but why here?

If he was enjoying it so little, you'd think he'd move on; plenty of other places would take him, some with even higher pay. So why?

Because this was his first real job. He and Wright had adopted each other in a way. Wright had accepted him with open arms, despite his lack of experience and disagreeable attitude. And he, in turn, had accepted Wright despite the crappy work environment. To Cody, Phoenix Wright was like another shitty father.

And if Cody's real father had ever invited him on a trip... He would have accepted.

For the first time in months, Cody opened his _own_ email. He dragged the cursor to the _Compose Mail_ button in the top left corner of the page, ignoring the hundreds of uncleaned emails sitting in his inbox.

_Phoenix Wright papa_soaring__

_Yes._

**Send**

The one-worded reply seemed pretty pointless, as Cody was the only one that _really_ accessed Wright's email in the first place. But maybe, just this once....

He would make Wright do his own job.


End file.
